The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-01-13
DOMESTIC HELP.
Mrs. Helen Campbell has drawn

DOMESTIC HELP.
Mrs. Helen Campbell has drawn
graphic pictures Of the suffering OF
poor sewing-women in New York. AL
ready charitable people are offering aid.
The human sympathy, which is never
lacking where there is real need, shows
itself afresh in the case OF these poor
sewing-women. But charity is not the
thing for permanent necessity. The
case calls for some provision by which
these poorly-paid workers can be made
self-supporting and more. They should
be enabled not only to supply present
needs. but to lay up something for old
age or for a rainy day. Work which is
required, which has constant market,
and to which these woman are equal,
should be found for them. This could
easily be done-at least for very large
per cent of them-and those who were
left to sew would command better
wages.
There are thousands of women who
suffer for lack of domestic help in an
other way as much as any poor sewing
woman can. The most pathetic letters
! ever read came to me from a young
woman in Wisconsin, farmers wife.
The harvest season was coming. Her
husband had ridden for days looking in
vain for help for his wife at time OF
year when every man was wanted in
the fields. The woman was already
overburdened with the work which she
had done, unrelieved, for several years.
She had, besides her own family, all
the hands on the farm to cook and
work for. Two or three little children
had come in the meantime to warm her
heart, but to be an added burden on
her hands She wrote to me: at seems
as though | should go wild. l must be
up early to get breakfast for the men, |
must set up late 10 put away the supper
and do the dishes. NV mending basket
piles up higher and higher, and | have
not time to take stitch; my children
cry and | can not comfort them nor
teach them, nor DO a mothers duty to
them, and not a woman anywhere to
help me-" She had borne up under it
till falling strength and health compel
ed the farmer TO lease his farm or lose
his wife. Here would have been a home
for some woman, with abundant food
and good wages that could have been
saved in the bank. All over the farms
at the west are multitudes of Just such
cases.
in the western towns it is hardly bet
ter. In a small country town IN Ne
braska | saw the wife of the hotel
keeper doing all the work for eighteen
men, as we'll as for transient guests
Till night she had not moments rest.
Two little children wandered around
unmothered, because she had no lime
TO care for them. No OF ,er woman was
near. When it came ainner-time she
put the dinner she had cooked on the
table and then shut the children out OF
doors while she waited on these eigh-
teen hungry men. One little bOv turn
ed his grleved lips up as the door closed
on him, but she had to wait on the table,
and the child must be out of The way
While the first course Was being eaten
| saw her pass the window outside with
the little one IN her arms, covering its
face with kisses. In moment she was
back again at her post Dinner over
she was washing up the pots and ket-
ties. The door being open between, |
heard the eldest child himself almost a
baby, say 10 his mother OF the other lit
iiC SiACs ~ hNCP bhIo DiOy III, dIli
afraid the horses will step on him.
She called him mothers little man."
and with a pot in one hand she swung
the child by one arm with the other into
the now deserted dining-room and shut
the door. 1t was her only way to keep
him safe. She had a fine face and tig-
ure and was diguitied in manner. 1t
was easy TO see she was not a mere
drudge On the wall hung a photo
graphed group of faces, her own among
the number. In answer to my inquir-
ing look she said; Those are photo
graphs of the class | graduated with"
Here was an educated woman, now
strong and well, but sure to break down
before many years under such load.
These instances illustrate what is real.
iy great want. Now, instead OF offer.
ing charity, would it not be far better
to put these half-starved sewing-women
who need food and homes and better
wages in communication with women
east and west who are perishing for lack
of such help as these women can givei
Advertisements for such places should
be made over the names of a reliable
committee and references given and re-
ceived. i. Railroad fares should be paid,
and the workers enabled to 90 where
their work is needed and where it would
be in constant demand.
Some sewlng-women have no knowl-
edge OF housework. Very well. Let
them work for their board while they
learn. They would have plenty of food
and a good home They would be bet
| ter off than they are now, when thei1
| 8 80 or So or 81 a week has to pay for
their scanty food and fuel and wretched
| rooms and nothing is left. Good house
wives would willingly teach one accus-
| toned to work if she would remain for
wages after she could earn them. What
would not the two women | have in
stanced gladly have done in the way of
teaching, if at first only washing dishes,
| making beds, and sweeping could have
| been done for them, even if it had been
done badlyP 1t seems TO me this is the
solution OF the question for women who
| barely make living at sewing. They
must be put in communication with
| those who so bitterly need domestic
help. Many of them would no doubt
| take kindly to housework. They would
| feel the sense of comfort and permau-
| ence and warmth of family life. They
would save the larger part of their
wages, and in time have small but
real independence.
If underpaid sewing-women will take
well-paid domestic service they will not
need charity. Lacy store, an Boston
Herald.
To u..H